Machine for producing disks from cork or cork composition



Ap'rl 28, 1925.

O. J. HARMS MACHINE' FOR PRODUOING nsxs FROM CORK OR CORK COMPOSITION '7 Sheets-Sheet l April 2s, 1925. 11,535,465

' O. J. HARMS MACHINE FOR PRODUCING DISKS FROM CORK OR CORK COMPOSITIN Filed March 19, 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet` 2 April 28, 1925.

, o. J. HARMs MAOHINO FOR PRODUOINO Drsxs FROM CORK OR CORK OOMPOSITxON Filed March 19, 1921 7 Sheets-Shea?l 3 April 28, 1925.

1,535,466 o. J. HARMS y I MACHINE FCR PRDUCING DISKS FROM CORK OR CORK` COMPOSITION Filed March 19. 1921 '7 Sheeas-Sheet. 4

vApril 28, 1925. y `1,535,456

. l o. J. HARMS MACHINE Fon Pnonucme Dsxs FROM CORK on ooRx COMPOSITION' .Filed March 129,152.1 '7 sheets-sheet 5 @L ,rml Y Aprilzs, 1925. A 1,535,466

O. J. HARMS MACHINE FOR PRQDUCING DISKS FROM CORK'OR CORK COMPOSITION Filed March 19, 1921 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 April 28, 1925. 1,535,466

o. J. HARMs I MACHINE FOR PRODUOIN'O DIsKs ROM CORK OR CORK COMPOSITION Filedjaarch 19, 1921 7 sheets-sneek 7 i Patented Apr. Z8, 1925..

NUNI-TED stares PATENT oFFicE'.

osCAla J. Han-Ms, or eat'rriaoan, MARYLAND, AssrGNo-R To THE CROWN Coni: AND

or Bausteinen, MARYLAND, A CORPORA- I SEAL COMPANY 0F BALTIMORE CTY,

TION' OF MARYLAND. l

automne roaraonucme Disks rie-01u CORK on CORK COMPOSITION.

Application sied ivarch ie, 1921. serial no. 453,776."

TocZZ whom t may concern:- y

Be it known that Oscar J. llAnMs,`a-c1ti` zen of thellnited States, residing at lrlalti more, in the State of Maryland, hasinvented certain new and useful linproveinents in Machines for Producing Disks from Cork or Cork Composition, ot' which the following is a specification.

'lhis invention has `reference to a machine tor producing disks of cork or cork coinpositions for any purpose but is especially useful in producing disks such, l'or example, as are utilized `in conjunction with sheetanetal sealing caps `or crowns that are extensively employed in sealing bottles and jars, and the disks produced may have the 'orrn of complet-e fiat disks or they may be of a gasket or washer' formation with a central opening.`

Considerable dilliculty is experienced in cutting cork and cork products because of the great friction produced between the cutter and the cork during the cutting operation, and in the case of natural cork, vgreat waste and loss ot' rnateriall has resulted because ofthe unevennessin the thickness ot the cork slabs which are first sliced and the slices vthen inatched s may be cut or punched troni the niatched slices. j ly means of Athe present able to very materially increase the total number ol disks produced troni a slab and also to produce those disks with a material saving in time and inoney over any means or mechanism heretofore practiced within niy knowledge or experience. The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention in a forni of machine which has been found Vin actual practice to produce excellent `results.

lfig. 1. illustrates, ina perspective diagrammatic way, an. arrangement of eleinents torelectually producing disks ot cork compositions.

. Fig. 2. shows one end or unit oi. the niachine in top or plan view.

Fig. 3. illustrates the saine in side elevation.

Fig. A. shows a vertical cross-section through the machine.

Fig. 5. illustrates a front tace view on an enlarged scale of two adjacent cutters; the

cork or that numerous disks invention. l ain grinders for the saine anda movable oscillating platev that is located between the cutters.

Fig. 6. shows `a horizontal oi sectional plan view of the devices shown immediately below the line (i-Gon `Fig. 5. 1

lT 7. illustrates a much enlarged vertical sectionaly detail through the movable oscillating plate, as the saine would appear' il? cut on the line Fe-7 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8. showsan enlarged vertical sectional detail through one olf.; the grinders and its supports as thesainewould appear if cut on the line-8 8 of ldig. 5;

lTig. 9. illustrates one of the cork carriers in top or plan view.- Y

" Fig. 10. shows a vertical longitudinalsed tional detail through onev of the cork-carriersand its coacting devices.

Fig. l1. illustrates an end view of one of the cork carriers the saine being opento permit the cork to reed forward. i

Fig. l2. shows the same in the closed position which it takes during the cutting operation. f y

13. showsin perspective one 'of the plugs that is to be cut into disks, and

Fig. 14. illustrates a series of disks that have been severed or cut troni a single plug.

ln carrying out the invention l make use ot a suitable traine 20, which l` have ound expedient to designy in units, one of which units is illustrated inftop or plan view -in 2 and in side elevation in Fig. 3. This unit idea enables the machines to' be made p longer or shorter by simply adding or ornitting units, to suit the class of work that is to be done. y l lWhen the desired number of units are coupled together, their 'frames will provide,

in this instance, a pair ot' upper horizontal guide-rails 2l and 22 and a pair of lower horizontal guide-railsQS and 24- respectively, as best shown in Fig. 4 ot the drawings.

At each end of the sets of guide rails l provide sprocket wheels 25, one of whichis illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and these wheels are mounted to revolve in a vertical plane so that their upper circumference will coact with the upper guide-rails 21 and 22 while their lower circumference will `cooperate with the lower guide-rails 23 and 24 whereby to carry an endless chain 26 along the upper rails then down and around one sprocket and deliver the same onto the lower guiderails and then around and over the other sprocket which will again deliver the chain onto the upper rails.

lin this way the chain is made to travel continuously.

Power is derived from a lower horizontal Shaft 27, through a worm drive in a casing` 23, and from the latter by a horizontal shaft 2S), on which one end-sprocket Q5 is mounted, as can be seen in Figs. 2 3 and 4 of the drawing.

Obviously, these details in the structure may readily be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

rlhe endless chain 26, has brackets projecting from its links at regularly-spaced intervals, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 'l0 of the drawine's, and these brackets are utilized in pairs to carry suitable cork-feed and clamp devices which carry the cork or cork composition that is to be cut into disks.

rlhese cork feed and clamp devices are best illustrated in Figs. 2 9 lO-ll and l2 of the drawings to which reference will now be made.

To more briefly designate these cork-feed and clamp devices they will hereinafter be referred to as clamps.

Each of these clamps comprises a substantially horizontal base-plate 3l with a lug or projection on the under side and at each end thereof to which the chain-link brackets 30 are bolted or screwed.

ln the present instance, one end of each base-plate 3l, has a V-shaped groove 32 which rides on a correspondingly-shaped edge of the upper guide rail Q2 while the opposite end of each base-plate is designed to have its lower side rest on top of the upper guide-rail 2l while it is traveling along` its upper stretch, and slide alongl the lower rail 23 during' its travel along the lower stretch of the belts travel, as can be .seen in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

Each clamp-base has a vertical slot 34 therein while at opposite ends of the slot the base is provided with two guide-lugs 35 and 36 respectively which extend at ri'- ht angles to the flat lone'itudinal upper and lower sur- I D faces. or the base.

Each guidedug 35 and 36 has a horizontal guide-perforation 3? therethrough so that a horizontal plunger-stem or rod 38 may be carried by each clamp.

A block 39 is rigidly connected to each plunger-stem 38 and each block has a pin 40 that projects therefrom and enters the vertical slot 34 in the base-plate so as to prevent rotation of either the block or the stem but permits said stem to be moved horizontally.

A coiled spring- 4l encircles the stem and has position between the guide lug `36 and the block so as to continuously exert a yielding pressure on the stem 38 in a direction toward the guide-lug 35.

Each block 39, is provided on its upper side with a roller 42, which is mounted on a vertical pin 43, so the roller may turn in a horizontal plane. The purpose of these rollers will presently be explained.

It will be noted that the upper side of each guide lug 35 of the clamps has a V- shaped groove 44, therein. rlhis groove 44, is utilized to engage a similarly-shaped edge of the lower guide-rail 24, when the clamps are traveling` with the lower stretch of chain, back to the operative position, as can be seen in F ig. 4.

lt is to be understood that during the cutting,` operations, the clamps on the upper stretch of chain are utilized and have the position shown in F ig. 10, during that operation,-the direction of travel of the clamps and chain during,- the cutting operation beingrindicated in Fig. 3 by darts located adjacent thereto.

Each base 3l carries a clamp device at that end which is adjacent to the guide-lug 35 and each clamp device, in this instance, comprises a stationary member and a movable member 46. These members have an interior shape that corresponds with the cross-sectional outline shape of the plug or block of cork or cork composition that is to be cut into disks. In this instance each of these members has a concave interior so that when they are in closed position they will form a circular' chamber 47 which is preferably left partly open in the upper side. This chamber extends in a horizontal direction and its central longitudinal axis is in alinement with the longitudinal center of the plunger-stem or rod 33 which latter enters one end thereof and carries a head 48, as clearly shown in Figs. l0 and ll of the drawings.

lt will thus be understood that if the stem or rod 33 be reciprocated in the guide lugs 35 and 36 that the head 43 will be reciprocated in the chamber 47 of the clamp device.

The movable member 4G of the clamp is pivotally connected at 49, to the stationary member 45 and a coiled spring 50 .is wound about the pintle 5l; so that its ends may operate to yieldingly hold the movable member 46 in the closed position. as in Fig. l2.

rllhis movable member, however, is designed in. this instance to be intermittently opened and then closed for the purpose of permitting; the stem 38 and its head 43, to feed the block or plug forward so that slices may be cut therefrom.

In the present construction, each movable member 46 has a lug 52 at its rear side, that is, rear vith respect to the direction of its travel, and a stem 53 is rigidly secured in this lug and carries a Contact roller 54 at its upper end, which rollers are brought into opened while the plug or block in the clamp chamber is fed forward. This operation will presently be more fully explained.

. In the operation of the present machine n theclamp devices are caused totravel continuously `with thev endless chain,-the clamps being sustained on the upper hori-v zontal rails 2l and 22 during the operative portion `of their travel.

The cycle of operation is indicated in the diagrammatic perspective view, shown in Fig. l, of the drawing wherein the complete chain 26 is indicated withrits upper and lower stretches; but the sprocket wheels at each end being omitted. n

The clamps -46 are shown in an endless series and the rollers 54 are indicated for each movable clampmember 46.

In the diaoframmatic view of Fig. l, the rollers 42, fhr controllingv the horizontal movement of the plunger stems or rods 38, are also indicated.

vAt the feed end of the machine I provide, in practice, a table 55, on which the plugs of cork or cork composition 57 `are delivered in any suitable way, such for example as by means of a chute 56.

These cork plugs 57 n are placed by operators in the chambersof the clamps as the latter travel past the table and at this time table.

the clamps must be held open and the plunger stems and heads must be retracted so the plugs can be' readily inserted therein.

. To hold the clamps open l provide a horizontal cam rail 58which is so located that the rollers 54, of the movable clamping members may engage the lower horizontal edge `of the rail and swing rearwardly into a trailing position, thereby swinging the `movable clamp into the position shown in Figl ll and holding the said clamp in the open position throughout its travel past the `To hold the plunger `stems retracted, also while` passing the table 55, T provide a seci ond cam rail 5 9 which is sustained in an edgewise position over the stems 38, so that the rollers 42 on the block, 39, will be pushed laterally carrying the stemsBS and the heads 48 with them. This cam-rail 59 therefore serves to holdthe stems and their heads retracted in the clamp chambers47, while the clamps pass the table where the cork plugs 57 are inserted.

Tt is believed to be obvious from the showing in Fig. l, of the drawing that as the cam rails58 and` 59zterminate at substantially the same point, that rollers 42 and 54 will be released substantially at the same time and the clamps will therefore close about the plug while the pressure of the spring 41,

willv move the stem 38 forward until its head 48, engages the inner end of the plug that is l held in the clamp, as clearly shown inFig. 10 of the drawing. l

i After the plugs 57 are clamped in the holders they are moved 'forward con tinuously with thev holders and endless car-` `of clamping during the cutting, then openingwhile the plug is fed forward, is repeated, until the plug is entirely sliced into disks. f

In the diagrammatic view l) a series of four cutters 60, are showmbut in practice a greater number are employed, although this is immaterial.

Considerable difliculty is experienced in cutting through cork with rotary cutters and this difficulty is multiplied when thin disks of substantially'uniform thickness are to be cut from plugs. The friction set up by this cutting operation is very great and it is exceedingly difficult to keep the cutters sharp enough to `commercially operate them.

By means of my improved machine, l have overcome these difficulties and have succeeded in producing machines that will coin mercially produce the disksvin large quantities, with a considerable saving in `inaterial and at much less expense than as heretofore practiced.

In the first placel produce the plugs 57 by an improved process and an improved machine both of which form the subject of companion applications for patents executed simultaneously herewith and bearing respectively serial numbers and filing dates as `termed the bellyA The back of the cork slab is that side which is exposedto the elements and weather and is quite tough and hard whilethe belly of the slab is that side which grows next to the trunk ofthe tree and is much more soft and flexible but stillunfit foruse as a disk surface, if that disk is to be utilized vas a sealing gasket in a bottle cap or crown. n

1n cutting the disks from plugs it is therefore necessary to first cut off the end slice and thus true the end of the plug. This end slice, while useless `as a sealing disk, may be ground up with scrap and moulded into artificial slabs from which plugs may becut and afterward sliced by the machine of this invention.

The cutters 60, in the machine herein illusA trated are of a circular form and have a beveled knife-edge 6l. as best illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, although the same can be seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

These cutters are carried on the ends of horizontal shafts 62 which latter are supported in brackets G3, that are sustained at the upper side of the machine frame.

Attention is directed particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawingl for the purpose of showing that the brackets 63 are so placed on the frame of the machine that the cutter shafts 6:2, while having positions in a horizontal plane, are not at true right angles to the line of travel of the clamps and. endless conveyer but are slightly inclined with respect to said line of travel. This slight inclination of the cutter-shafts 62, throws the flat faces of the cutter disks 60, out of parallelism with the projecting' ends of the cork plugs 57` that are held in and carried by the clamps, as is best illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings so' that as the beveled knife-edge 6l of the cutter enters the cork block or plug` to sever a disk 64 therefrom, the flat face 65 of the cutter disk will not have frictional contact with the entire cross-sectional surface of the block or plug 57, during the cutting operation, which frictional contact would produce suiicient heat to cause the cork to smoke and would also tend to injure the cutters in addition to displacing the plugs or blocks in the clamps.

As the cutters enter the plugs or blocks to sever a disk therefrom, the disk is turned laterally at the rear side of the cutter and passes under a spring finger 6G which prevents the disks from being scattered as they are completely severed from the block or plug and simply retains said disks and allows them to drop, one at a time into a chute 67, from which they discharge into a suitable receptacle 68.

A separate chute is provided for thel disks cut by each cutter so that the disks may be kept separate,-it being found in practice that the first disk cut is of little value as a disk while the next disk is of a grade that is less desirable than the succeeding disks and by thus separating the disks a more ready inspection and uniform grade of disk can be selected for the best grade, while others may be utilized for some purposes not requiring. as perfect a seal.

The cutter shafts 62, are driven through the aid of worm gears 69 that mesh .with worms (not shown) but carried on a horizontal drive shaft 70 beneath said shafts.

After each disk is sliced or-cut from a block or plug 57, the plugs must be fed forward and as the plugs are held in the clampsl theplugs takes place. This is. effected by means which will nov-be brieflyl explained.

lBy reference to Figs. l to 5 inclusive it will be noted that a horizontal rail 71 is sustained above the traveling row of horizontal clamps and adjacent tothe rear flat faces 65 of the cutters.

This rail 7l is stationary in that it is supported by suitable means from the frame of the machine, and along thatl rail, ,and at points between adjacent cutters 60, I provide depending trip lugs orbolts 72, the lower ends of which project down far enough, below `the rail'to extend in the path of the rollers54, of the movable clamp members 46, as clearly shown in. Fig. 10, and diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. l of Ythe drawing.

As the clamp devicesv are traveling from one cutter to another, their; rollers- 54, will strike the trip `lugs or bolts 72, which causes the movable clamp member 46 to .momentarily open as illustrated in Fig. 1l, and by thus opening, the clamps release the block or plug while the plunger head 48 and stem 38, are pushed forward by the spring 4l,.so as to advance the block or plug in the clamp. As soon as the rollers 54 pass the lug or bolt 72, however, the clamp again engagesfthe block or plug and holds the samewhile the next cutter severs a disk therefrom.

This operation of releasing the` clamps and feeding the block orl plug .forward between cutters, necessitates providing means to determinev the extent of forward feed of; the block or plug, otherwise disks of unequal thickness would besevered from the block or pluO'.

Tov determinek this forward feed ofthe block or plug, I provide between adjacent cutters, an adjustable gage plate` having novel features of construction, aswill now be explained.

By reference to Figs. ;4-5-6 andy 7 of the drawings it will be noted thatv an angleiron bracket 73, is seated on a Supporting bar 74 of the machine frame so as to be positioned between adjacent cutters.

These brackets 7 3 are provided in. their horizontal portions with slots 75 which extend vertically therethrough so that adjusting screws 76 carried by the bar 74 may project through the slots and adjustably securek the brackets.

In order however to effect a delicate adjustment of the brackets in a directiony toward or from the ends of the passing plugs or blocks and the ends of the clamps,4 I pro- `vide each .bracket with a slot 77, and I eccentrically mounta head 78, on the bar 74 so that the headmay enter the bracketslot-.so that when the head is rotated or turned it will cause thebracket to move back or forth on the bar 74.

The vertical portion of each angle-iron.

bracket sustains a vertical plate 79 whose upper end `carries ajhorizontal barrel or bearing 80. This bearing sustains a short stem or shaftv 8l, one end of which projects soas to carry .a vertical stop-plate 82. This plate 82 is therefore pivotally sustained in a vertical plane slightly forward of the entering edge of the cutters the distance being `equal to the thickness the disk is to have when cut from the plug.

By reference to Figs. and 6 of the drawings, it will be noted that the plate 79 against which the stop-plate 82, slides when the latterjswings, is provided with a recess 88 and that a stationary stop-strip 84, is pro j vided on the plate 79, at one side of the recess whereby to limit the swinging movement of the plate 82. The vertical surfaces however of these two plates 82 and 84 is iny thesame vertical plane so that the end of the plug or block of cork will pass from the movable stop plate onto the stationary plate `or strip without hindrance.

A. spring 85, is attached to an arm or lug 86 that projects from the ymovable stopplate 82, so that when the end of the plug j or block passes from contact with said` latter plate the spring will immediately return the plate. to its normalposition as is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing.

The operation of` this movable gage or the ends of the moving ,plugs seat against `the gage` plates,l the clamps immediately close about the plugs and the plug-ends then by their frictional contact withv the gage-- `plates will cause the latter to swing as the j plugs continue to-advance toward the next cutter. `By thus permitting these gageplatesto swing in the direction of the travel j l `of the plugs considerable friction is avoided as the gaging of the plugs takes place' and'` i `until-the clampshave had ample time to= i. grasptheplugy again` to hold it in its advanced position ready for the next cutter to slice ofi' another disk. l

\ `In practicing this invention I have found v the cutting of cork disks: by circular cutters to involve many difficulties and these were not overcome' by me until I discovered that the cutters will perform commercially if they are subjected to a continuous grinding to maintain their knife-edge.

Y For this reason l'have provided each cutter with a grindingfdevice which will now 90 is carried.

be briefly described, reference being'made particularly tolfigs. 5 and 8 of the drawings. j

Above the row of cutters 60, l provide Aa horizontal rod 87, which l sustain in any` suitable manner from the frame, and on this rod l pendantly hang a series of arms 88.

The lower ends of these arms 88, carry a horizontal stem 89 on which a grinder-wheel Thesefarms and their grinder-wheelsare so hung that one wheel ymay contact with one beveled face of a circular cutter 60, while another wheel may contact with the opposite face of the same grinder,-the two grinders however being so adjusted that one will grind a. long bevel while the other will simply grind a short bevel on the cutter.

The contact of these grinders withthe cutters is only slight and ust sufficient to maintain the desired edge vwithout grinding' away the cutter too much.

lirom the foregoing explanation vit is beare cut and fed forward and then again cut and fed forward repeatedly untilthe block or plug becomes stuck in the clamps and the pressure of the `springs 4l, on the stemsw38and heads 48, is insuihcient to eject these ends. y, i To positively effect the discharge of the plug-end from` the clamps after the last cutter is passed, l provide a short inclined s section of cam track 98 adjacent to vbut over the lineof `travel of the lendless series of clamps so that as each clamp passes this cam-track 93, the latter will engage the ejector rollers 42 on the blocks `89, and posi-V tively move the stems 88 and head 48, a stroke that will clear the clamps of any remnants of plugsv or blocks that may have re mained therein.

Having described my invention, l claim.- 1. `In a machine for cutting sealing-disks from cork plugs the combination with an` .endless series` ofv clamp devices, of two spaced-apart upper horizontal supports, two spaced-apart. lower horizontal supports said upper and lower horizontalsupports sustaining some of said clampV devices, a circular device ateach end `of said upper and lower supports to direct the clamp devices while the latter 'travel between said two sets of supports, a flexible device traveling around said two circular devices and between the .lieved to be clear that the plugs or blocks two upper and two lower horizontal supports said flexible device being connected to each` of the clamp-devices to cause them to travel along said supports, a series of cutters along the path of the clamp-devices and meansy for actuating the clamps' between successive cuttersto feed the cork plug forward.

2. The combination with an endless series of clamp devices to hold material to be cut, of a feed plunger for each clamp, a series of cutters, means'for moving the clamp devices and plungers past' the series of'cutters, means for opening the clamps between successive cutters, means for moving the plungers in the clamps when the latter are opened and means for closing the clamps before the neXt cutter is reached.

i3. The combination with an endless conveyer having an upper horizontal stretch and a lower horizontal stretch, of a series of clamp devices attached to said conveyer, an upper horizontal rail for engaging the said clamp devices, a series of rotary' cutters along the upper horizontal stretch of the conveyer, said rail opening a series of the clamps to enable them to receive the material to be cut, means for closing said clamps after they pass said rail' and also while the material is being cut and means for momentarily opening the clampsv while they travel from one cutter toward another to enable the material to be fed forward.

4i. The combination with an endless series of traveling clamping devices to hold material to be cut, of a spring-pressed plunger' tor each clamp to press the material forward, a plurality of cutters located at intervals adjacent to the path of the clamps, means for holding the clamps open during a portion of their travel to permit the material to be placed therein, means for holdingV the plunger-s retracted while the clamps are held open, means for closing the clamps as they approach the first cutter, means for opening the clamps as they move with the material 'to the next cutter to permit the plungers to feed the material forward and means for closing the clamps again as they approach the next cutter.

5. In a machine for cutting successive disks from cork plugs the combination with an endless conveyer having an upper horizontal stretch and a lower horizontal stretch, of a series of rotary cutters along the upper horizontal stretch of the conveyer, a series of clamp-devicesl attached to said conveyer and each clamp having a plunger, an upperl horizontal rail for engaging the clamps as they move to open the latter to enable them to receive the plugs to be cut, a cam-track for holding the plunger of eachV clamp retracted while the clamp is open, means for closing said clamps after they pass said rail and also while the material is being" cut and means for momentarily opening the clamps while they travel from one cutter to another to allow the plungers to move the plugs forward in the clamps.

-6. In a machine foi` cutting successive disks from cork plugs the combination with an endless conveyer having'an upperv horizontal stretch and a lower horizontal stretch, of a series of'rotaryVv cutters along the upper horizontal stretch of the conveyer, a series of clamp-devices attached to saidl conveyer and each clamping having a spring-actuated clamp-jaw and a spring-actuated plunger, means tor succ'essivelyengaging the clampjaws to hold them open while plugs are placed therein, means for holding the springpressed pltmgers retracted while the jaws are held open, and means for' momentarily opening the jaws of the clamps while they move from` one cutter to the'next cutter to permit the spring-actuated plungers'to feed the plugs forward'y after each disk is cut. therefrom.

7. The combination with an endless series of traveling clamps, of a plurality of rotary cutters past which the saidA clamps travel, a movable gage-plate between successive cutters, means for moving the material toward a gage-plate after it leavesl a cutter and'causing the plate to move along with the material towardvr the next' cutter.

8. The combinationwithv an endless* series of traveling clamps, of'a plurality of'rotary cutters past which the said clamps travel, a pivotally sustained gage-plate between successive cutters, means operating after each cut to move the material tothe pivoted gageplate and causing the latter toswing as the material moves tov'vard'theV next cutter whereby to eliminate friction.'

9. The'combinationwith an endless series of traveling clamps, of a plurality of rotary cutters past' which said clamps travel, a movable gagelplatebetween successive cutters, means for movingfthe material in the clamps and toward a' gage-plate after it leaves a cutter andl causing the plate to move along with the material `toward the next cutter, and means for returning the gageplate to its initial position as the material passesl therefrom to the next cutter.

10. In a machineQfor cutting sealing disks from cylindrical plugs the combination'with an endless flexi'ble'conveyer, of a seriesof base` plates attached to and carried bythe convey'er, a clamp device at one endv of'each base-plate andv shaped to engage a cylindrical plug, a plunger device'sustain'ed'by each base-plate and movable in each clamp,'means for opening and closing the clamps at intervals during their travel to free the plug therein and allow the plunger to move the latter forward and means along the path of the clamps to cut disks from the plugs after the closing movements of the clamps.

11. In a machine for cutting'sealing'disks from cylindrical plugs the combination' with an endless flexibleconveyer, of a series of base-plates carried 'by the conveyer, guide railsy to' sustain the base plates and guide them in a straight path', a clampdevice at one end of each base-plate and shaped to engage and carry a cylindrical plug, a spring-pressedplunger in eaclrclainp deviee, means for* intermittently opening the clamps to permit the plunger to feed the plug forward in its clamp and a series of cutters to cut disks from each plug after each forward movement of the letter in the clamps.

12. ln a machine orcntting disks 'roin Cork plugs the combination with a pair of upper horizontal' supporting rails, of a pair of lower horizontal supporting rails, a sprocket-wheel at each end of the two sets ofrails, an endless chain traveling from one sprocket to the other and passing between said upper and lower sets of rails, clamp devices attached to said chain but supported on said two sets of rails each clamp device having a movable jaw and a spring-actuated plunger, a series of cutters, means for holding the movable jaws of the clamps open while plugs are placedftherein, means for holding the clamp-plungers retracted while the jaws are thus held open and means -or momentarily releasing the jaws while the clamps move from one cutter to the next. In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

OSCAR J. HARMS. 

